Oakpool Bastle

Has been described as a Certain Bastle

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameOakpool Bastle
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishAllendale

Oakpool is rather unusually sited for a bastle, on a valley bottom site on the south bank of the East Allen. The bastle forms the south end of a range of later buildings and measures 9.3m by 6.4m externally. It is built of heavy rubble with impressively large and elongate quoins above a boulder plinth; the side walls are c.0.9m thick and the end walls c.1m. The present openings are largely 18th or 19th century in date, but there is a blocked basement slit towards the south end of the west wall, and areas of rubble patching above that might delineate a first floor doorway set a little left of centre, with a window to the right. In the south gable end is a blocked basement slit set centrally, and at first floor level a small loop near the west end of the wall, retaining its original vertical and horizontal iron bars.

During alterations in 1980-1 a stone with the initials 'T W' (Thomas Wilson?) was found (now lost) (Ryder 1994-5). (Northumberland HER)

Oakpool, now a residence, originated as a very long bastle, at 41 feet long, and was then a farmhouse. Much altered over the years, but bastle features are retained,, notably a blocked ground floor entrance and a small upstairs window in the same gable. (PastScape ref. Dodds 1999)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY808576
Latitude54.9131507873535
Longitude-2.30001997947693
Eastings380650
Northings557630
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Copyright Les Hull and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.View full Sized Image

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 424
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 119 (slight)

Journals

  • Christopherson, R., 2011, 'Northumberland bastles: origin and distribution' Medieval Settlement Research Vol. 26 p. 21-33 (listed in appendix)
  • Ryder, P.F., 1992, 'Bastles and bastle-like buildings in Allendale' Archaeological Journal Vol. 149 p. 351-79 (listed in appendix)

Other

  • Ryder, P.F., 1994-5, Towers and Bastles in Northumberland Part 4 Tynedale District Vol. 1 p. 15-16
  • Ryder, P.F., 1984, Bastles in Allendale. Unpublished